The Madras High Court on Friday confirmed a Rs 25-crore penalty given to Sasikala Natarajan’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran in a Foreign Exchange Regulation of India Act violation case filed 20 years ago. Natarajan is the general secretary of the state’s ruling party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Dhinakaran, a former AIADMK legislator, was investigated by the ED after massive cash deposits were made in his bank accounts when deceased chief minister Jayalalithaa was in power between 1991-1996. The ED then imposed a fine of Rs 25 crore on him for money laundering.

Dhinakaran had claimed to be out of the ED’s investigative turf since he is a citizen of Singapore, according to The Times of India. He had appealed in Madras High Court against the penalty. The matter was pending till the court confirmed the ED penalty today.